New Zealanders must learn to celebrate business success to stop the cutting down of tall poppies becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy, says small-business specialist Sarah Trotman.
"I think we celebrate rugby and sporting heroes really well. However, we do not celebrate business success," she says.
The quote comes from a new book,
Stand Up & Shout, by business owner Alastair Ferguson, which contains a series of interviews with successful New Zealanders.
Trotman's messages stress the importance of striving for a work/life balance and of putting something back into the community.
As well as a reluctance to celebrate success, Trotman believes New Zealanders are too harsh on those who don't make it.
"I think we stomp on people who fail in business. People who don't succeed the first time have got so much experience that we should be tapping into."
If fear of failure means that you never risk trying anything then no one would ever succeed, she says.
Ferguson's book was prompted by a family-health crisis that forced the businessman to have a good look at what was really important in life.
For him, it turned out to be family, time and having a passion for life.
Others in Ferguson's book echo Trotman's messages.
Diane Foreman, chief executive of private investment company Emerald Group and vice-chairwoman of the Business Roundtable, says learning to celebrate success is all about education.
"From the time children are extremely young they need to be educated about different types of heroes, not just rugby heroes. They should also be exposed to business heroes," she says in Stand Up & Shout.
She would like an organisation to be formed that sends successful business people into schools to talk about what they do, what makes them successful and what drives them.
Key messages from others in the book include Alison Patterson's advice to use talents fully, add value to everything you do and achieve balance between work, community and family.
Despite going almost totally deaf by the age of 20, she was the first woman appointed to the board of a publicly listed company and the first woman appointed to a producer board.
Trotman recommends a positive outlook, passion for what you do and an extensive network of personal and business friends.
Her latest project is to establish a one-stop shop for SME businesses and take the concept globally.
Ferguson will talk about his book on September 10 at the Sheraton, in Auckland.
Stand Up & Shout
